Identification of modifiable factors associated with owner-reported equine laminitis in Britain using a web-based cohort study approach.

BACKGROUND: Equine laminitis is a complex disease that manifests as pain and lameness in the feet, often with debilitating consequences. There is a paucity of data that accounts for the multifactorial nature of laminitis and considers time-varying covariates that may be associated with disease development; particularly those that are modifiable and present potential interventions. A previous case-control study identified a number of novel, modifiable factors associated with laminitis which warranted further investigation and corroboration. The aim of this study was to identify factors associated with equine laminitis in horses/ponies in Great Britain (GB) using a prospective, web-based cohort study design, with particular interest in evaluating modifiable factors previously identified in the case-control study. RESULTS: Self-selected horse/pony owners in GB submitted initial baseline and follow-up health and management questionnaires for 1070 horses/ponies between August 2014 and December 2016. The enrolled horses/ponies contributed 1068 horse-years at risk with a median of 38 days between questionnaire submissions. Owners reported 123 owner-recognised and/or veterinary-diagnosed episodes of active laminitis using a previously-validated laminitis reporting form. Multivariable Cox regression modelling identified 16 risk/protective factors associated with laminitis development. In keeping with the previous case-control study, a prior history of laminitis (particularly non-veterinary-diagnosed episodes), soreness after shoeing/trimming and weight gain were associated with higher rates of laminitis. There is now strong evidence that these risk factors should be used to guide future recommendations in disease prevention. Factors with some prior evidence of association included breed, steroidal anti-inflammatory administration, transport and worming. The modifiable factors amongst these should be the focus of future laminitis studies. The remainder of the identified factors relating to health, turnout and grazing management and feeding are novel, and require further investigation to explore their relationship with laminitis and their applicability as potential interventions. CONCLUSIONS: This study has demonstrated a temporal relationship between a number of horse- and management-level factors and laminitis, identifying potential interventions and important risk groups for which these interventions would be of particular importance. These results serve as a sound evidence-base towards the development of strategic recommendations for the horse/pony-owning population to reduce the rate of laminitis in GB.

Modelling understorey dynamics in temperate forests under global change-Challenges and perspectives.

The understorey harbours a substantial part of vascular plant diversity in temperate forests and plays an important functional role, affecting ecosystem processes such as nutrient cycling and overstorey regeneration. Global change, however, is putting these understorey communities on trajectories of change, potentially altering and reducing their functioning in the future. Developing mitigation strategies to safeguard the diversity and functioning of temperate forests in the future is challenging and requires improved predictive capacity. Process-based models that predict understorey community composition over time, based on first principles of ecology, have the potential to guide mitigation endeavours but such approaches are rare. Here, we review fourteen understorey modelling approaches that have been proposed during the last three decades. We evaluate their inclusion of mechanisms that are required to predict the impact of global change on understorey communities. We conclude that none of the currently existing models fully accounts for all processes that we deem important based on empirical and experimental evidence. Based on this review, we contend new models are needed to project the complex impacts of global change on forest understoreys. Plant functional traits should be central to such future model developments, as they drive community assembly processes and provide valuable information on the functioning of the understorey. Given the important role of the overstorey, a coupling of understorey models to overstorey models will be essential to predict the impact of global change on understorey composition and structure, and how it will affect the functioning of temperate forests in the future.

Evaluation of real-life dosing of oral medicines with respect to fluid and food intake in a Dutch-speaking population.

WHAT IS KNOWN AND OBJECTIVE: Oral drug administration is the most preferred route of drug administration. For some specific classes of drugs, recommendations regarding the intake of the drug product are provided by and approved in the summary of product characteristics (SmPC) after testing the oral drug product in clinical trials under strict and predefined conditions. The aim of this study was to investigate how certain classes of medicines are taken in a "real-life" setting in terms of concomitant fluid and food intake by a Dutch-speaking population in Flanders (Belgium). The outcome of this study was comprehensively discussed with literature data to evaluate the positive or negative consequences of their drug intake in daily life. METHODS: A retrospective and non-interventional study was set up by means of questionnaires completed by two different groups: children (ie 0-15 years) and (young) adults (ie 16 years and older). RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In children, the co-administered volume increases with age because of a gradual switch from liquids to solid dosage forms. In adults, water was the most selected co-administered fluid and the preferred volume of intake was a half glass of liquid. WHAT IS NEW AND CONCLUSION: Results of the surveys clearly indicated that the majority of all participants took their medication with a sip or half glass of water. However, this was not the case for the youngest children, as their preferred formulations were liquids (eg solutions, suspensions) which do not require any extra intake of liquid. In the case of specific classes of drugs, real-life intake can still be improved, suggesting that the pharmacist's advice has an important influence on their administration of medicines.

1306-km 20x124.8-Gb/s PM-64QAM transmission over PSCF with net SEDP 11,300 (b ∙ km)/s/Hz using 1.15 samp/symb DAC.

We demonstrated the transmission of a Nyquist-WDM signal based on PM-64QAM modulation in an EDFA-only submarine configuration composed of 54.4 km-long fiber spans: 20 channels at 124.8-Gb/s were propagated over 1306 km of low-loss pure-silica-core fiber (PSCF). Thanks to an aggressive digital spectral shaping, we achieved a raw spectral efficiency (SE) of 10.4 b/s/Hz, corresponding to 8.67 b/s/Hz net SE when considering a 20% FEC overhead. Transmitter DACs are operated at a record-low 1.15 samples/symbol, enabled by the insertion of advanced anti-alias filters. The achieved SE-times-distance product was 11,327 (b ∙ km)/(s ∙ Hz), the highest reported so far for PM-64QAM. Combining the experimental results with the performance predictions obtained using an analytical model of nonlinear propagation in uncompensated coherent optical systems (the so-called "GN-model"), we show that PM-64QAM is a realistic option for ultra-high capacity systems in the 1,000 km range, carrying up 40 Tb/s in the C-band.

Negative effects of temperature and atmospheric depositions on the seed viability of common juniper (Juniperus communis).

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Environmental change is increasingly impacting ecosystems worldwide. However, our knowledge about the interacting effects of various drivers of global change on sexual reproduction of plants, one of their key mechanisms to cope with change, is limited. This study examines populations of poorly regenerating and threatened common juniper (Juniperus communis) to determine the influence of four drivers of global change (rising temperatures, nitrogen deposition, potentially acidifying deposition and altering precipitation patterns) on two key developmental phases during sexual reproduction, gametogenesis and fertilization (seed phase two, SP2) and embryo development (seed phase three, SP3), and on the ripening time of seeds. METHODS: In 42 populations throughout the distribution range of common juniper in Europe, 11,943 seeds of two developmental phases were sampled. Seed viability was determined using seed dissection and related to accumulated temperature (expressed as growing degree-days), nitrogen and potentially acidifying deposition (nitrogen plus sulfur), and precipitation data. KEY RESULTS: Precipitation had no influence on the viability of the seeds or on the ripening time. Increasing temperatures had a negative impact on the viability of SP2 and SP3 seeds and decreased the ripening time. Potentially acidifying depositions negatively influenced SP3 seed viability, while enhanced nitrogen deposition led to lower ripening times. CONCLUSIONS: Higher temperatures and atmospheric deposition affected SP3 seeds more than SP2 seeds. However, this is possibly a delayed effect as juniper seeds develop practically independently, due to the absence of vascular communication with the parent plant from shortly after fertilization. It is proposed that the failure of natural regeneration in many European juniper populations might be attributed to climate warming as well as enhanced atmospheric deposition of nitrogen and sulfur.

Soil legacies of tree species richness in a young plantation do not modulate tree seedling response to watering regime.

Trees have a strong and species-specific influence on biotic and abiotic properties of the soil. Even after the vegetation is removed, the effect can persist to form so-called soil legacies. We investigated the effects of soil legacies of tree species richness on the emergence and growth of tree seedlings, and how these legacy effects modulate the seedling responses to irrigation frequency. We used a 9-year-old tree plantation on former agricultural land in Belgium, which is part of a biodiversity-ecosystem functioning experiment (FORBIO). Soil originating from monocultures and four-species plots, with different species combinations, was translocated to a greenhouse. Five tree species (Betula pendula, Fagus sylvatica, Pinus sylvestris, Quercus robur, and Tilia cordata) were sown and grown for one growing season in these soils. We performed a watering treatment (low and high irrigation frequency) to measure any potential interaction effects between the soil legacies and irrigation frequency. There was no evidence for soil legacy effects of species richness on plant performance or their response to the irrigation frequency. However, the effect of irrigation frequency was dependent on species identity of the tree seedlings. Despite the lack of clear legacy effects, performance measures did show correlated responses that are likely due to species composition effects. We ascribe these patterns to the young age of the forest and the agricultural past land use. At this early stage in forest development, the land-use history likely has a more important role in shaping soil characteristics that affect plant growth and their response to drought, than species diversity.

Effects of external ambient temperature at loading, journey duration and flock characteristics on the dead-on-arrival rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain.

Broiler mortality during transport and lairage, prior to slaughter, has negative welfare and economic implications. Knowledge of the factors affecting the dead-on-arrival (DOA) rate can help identify risk-mitigating strategies. The objectives of this study were to determine the DOA rate in broiler chickens transported to slaughter in Great Britain and associated risk factors. Requested data for all loads of broilers transported to slaughter by 5 large British commercial companies on 57 randomly-selected dates in 2019 were obtained and combined with weather data extracted from the Met Office MIDAS Open database. The DOA rate was described overall and per load using summary descriptive statistics. Mixed-effects Poisson regression was used to evaluate considered flock-, journey- and weather-related risk factors. Results were reported as incidence rate ratios (IRR) and 95% confidence intervals (CI). On the selected dates, 25,476 loads transported 146,219,189 broilers to slaughter. The overall mean DOA rate was 0.08%. The median DOA rate per load was 0.06% (interquartile range 0.03-0.09%; range 0.00-17.39%). Multiple risk factors were identified including loading temperature and catch method. At relative humidity ≤80%, the DOA rate was 16.89 (95% CI 15.25-18.70, P < 0.001) times higher for loads loaded in external ambient temperatures >30.0°C compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C. When relative humidity was >80%, there was a 43% increase in DOA rate for loads loaded in temperatures below freezing compared to those loaded in temperatures between 10.1°C and 15.0°C (IRR 1.43, 95% CI 1.35-1.52, P < 0.001). The DOA rate was 32% higher for loads caught mechanically compared to those caught manually (IRR 1.32, 95% CI 1.23-1.42, P < 0.001). The overall DOA rate was lower than that previously reported in Great Britain and for other European countries. Most identified risk factors had a marginal effect, however, loading temperatures >30°C substantially increased DOA rate. Internal thermal environmental conditions were not evaluated. Avoidance of loading during periods of hot weather would improve the welfare of, and reduce economic losses in, broiler chickens.

The abundance of Ixodes ricinus ticks depends on tree species composition and shrub cover.

The mainstream forestry policy in many European countries is to convert coniferous plantations into (semi-natural) deciduous woodlands. However, woodlands are the main habitat for Ixodes ricinus ticks. Therefore, assessing to what extent tick abundance and infection with Borrelia spirochetes are affected by forest composition and structure is a prerequisite for effective prevention of Lyme borreliosis. We selected a total of 25 pine and oak stands, both with and without an abundant shrub layer, in northern Belgium and estimated tick abundance between April and October 2008-2010. Additionally, the presence of deer beds was used as an indicator of relative deer habitat use. Borrelia infections in questing nymphs were determined by polymerase chain reactions. The abundance of larvae, nymphs, and adults was higher in oak stands compared to pine stands and increased with increasing shrub cover, most likely due to differences in habitat use by the ticks' main hosts. Whereas tick abundance was markedly higher in structure-rich oak stands compared to homogeneous pine stands, the Borrelia infection rates in nymphs did not differ significantly. Our results indicate that conversion towards structure-rich deciduous forests might create more suitable tick habitats, but we were unable to detect an effect on the infection rate.

Retrospective analysis of post-mortem findings in Thoroughbreds aged from birth to 18 months presented to a UK pathology laboratory.

Enhanced understanding of reasons for, and timings of, mortality in Thoroughbreds prior to entering race training is warranted to provide insight into this population's health status. The aims of this study were to describe pathologies diagnosed at post-mortem (PM) examination in Thoroughbreds aged from birth to 18 months and investigate associations between age and pathology. Reports from a pathology laboratory in Newmarket, UK, were used to identify eligible cases examined between January 2006 and December 2020. Reported pathologies were extracted and categorised where appropriate. Comorbidities and pathogens identified were reported where available. Associations between age and selected pathologies were assessed using logistic regression. Of 144 eligible Thoroughbreds presented for PM, 137 had an available report and pathologist's diagnosis. Congenital defects were most commonly reported (20%; n = 28/137; 95%CI 15-29), 69% of which (n = 19/28; 95%CI 49-82) were conformational manifestations of developmental orthopedic disease (DOD). Pneumonia was an important pathology (14%; n = 20/137; 95%CI 36-53) during the pre-weaning period, where Rhodococcus equi was identified in 50% (n = 10/20; 95% CI 29-70) of cases. Odds of congenital defects (OR 56.6; 95%CI 7.0-460.0; P < 0.001) were significantly greater in horses aged 0-2 days compared to 4-18 months at PM. Odds of pneumonia (OR 4.3; 95%CI 1.1-1.7; P = 0.04) were significantly greater in horses ages 1-4 months compared to 0-2 days at PM. This study shows that conformational manifestations of DOD are an important contributor to perinatal mortality, and that pathologies reported at PM vary with age in young Thoroughbreds.

Different effects of warming treatments in forests versus hedgerows on the understorey plant Geum urbanum.

The effectiveness of hedgerows as functional corridors in the face of climate warming has been little researched. Here we investigated the effects of warming temperatures on plant performance and population growth of Geum urbanum in forests versus hedgerows in two European temperate regions. Adult individuals were transplanted in three forest-hedgerow pairs in each of two different latitudes, and an experimental warming treatment using open-top chambers was used in a full factorial design. Plant performance was analysed using mixed models and population performance was analysed using Integral Projection Models and elasticity analyses. Temperature increases due to open-top chamber installation were higher in forests than in hedgerows. In forests, the warming treatment had a significant negative effect on the population growth rate of G. urbanum. In contrast, no significant effect of the warming treatment on population dynamics was detected in hedgerows. Overall, the highest population growth rates were found in the forest control sites, which was driven by a higher fecundity rather than a higher survival probability. Effects of warming treatments on G. urbanum population growth rates differed between forests and hedgerows. In forests, warming treatments negatively affected population growth, but not in hedgerows. This could be a consequence of the overall lower warming achieved in hedgerows. We conclude that maintenance of cooler forest microclimates coul, at least temporarily, moderate the species response to climate warming.

Initial oak regeneration responses to experimental warming along microclimatic and macroclimatic gradients.

Quercus spp. are one of the most important tree genera in temperate deciduous forests in terms of biodiversity, economic and cultural perspectives. However, natural regeneration of oaks, depending on specific environmental conditions, is still not sufficiently understood. Oak regeneration dynamics are impacted by climate change, but these climate impacts will depend on local forest management and light and temperature conditions. Here, we studied germination, survival and seedling performance (i.e. aboveground biomass, height, root collar diameter and specific leaf area) of four oak species (Q. cerris, Q. ilex, Q. robur and Q. petraea). Acorns were sown across a wide latitudinal gradient, from Italy to Sweden, and across several microclimatic gradients located within and beyond the species' natural ranges. Microclimatic gradients were applied in terms of forest structure, distance to the forest edge and experimental warming. We found strong interactions between species and latitude, as well as between microclimate and latitude or species. The species thus reacted differently to local and regional changes in light and temperature ; in southern regions the temperate Q. robur and Q. petraea performed best in plots with a complex structure, whereas the Mediterranean Q. ilex and Q. cerris performed better in simply structured forests with a reduced microclimatic buffering capacity. The experimental warming treatment only enhanced height and aboveground biomass of Mediterranean species. Our results show that local microclimatic gradients play a key role in the initial stages of oak regeneration; however, one needs to consider the species-specific responses to forest structure and the macroclimatic context.

Forest understorey plant responses to long-term experimental warming, light and nitrogen addition.

Climate change, eutrophication and intensified forest management are affecting forest understorey plants, a major component of forest biodiversity. The main impacts of these drivers have often been studied, but we lack a good understanding of how key understorey species are affected by potential interactive effects of these drivers and which species drive community changes. Here we assessed the responses of 15 species occurring in the understorey of a deciduous temperate forest to experimental warming, light addition and enhanced nitrogen inputs in permanent plots surveyed for 9 years. We analysed vegetation cover and key functional traits (plant height, specific leaf area and reproductive traits) at the species level and identified the species driving community change with principal response curves (PRC). Light addition and warming, and to a lesser extent also nitrogen addition, had profound effects on cover and functional traits. Many species showed directional change over time, and this change can either be strengthened or weakened by treatments, indicating the importance of long-term monitoring. Against expectations, we observed few interactions between treatments. Species responses to treatments were related to ecological strategies (generalists versus forest specialist). Generalists, such as Rubus fruticosus, benefitted from the warming and light treatments and outcompeted forest specialists. This might ultimately lead to biotic homogenization. Since the treatment effects of light and warming were additive, keeping the canopy closed will only mitigate, but not stop, the effects of global warming on the forest understorey plants.

Associations between physiotherapy findings and subsequent diagnosis of pelvic or hindlimb fracture in racing Thoroughbreds.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: Physiotherapists who work in racehorse training yards routinely treat horses' backs and hindquarters and may be able to recognise signs that indicate the presence of (impending) pelvic or hindlimb fracture before it becomes catastrophic. OBJECTIVE: To establish whether physiotherapy assessment findings in Thoroughbred racehorses referred for routine physiotherapy could be predictive of subsequent (within 30 days) pelvic or hindlimb fracture diagnosis. METHODS: Retrospective veterinary and physiotherapy data from a cohort of Newmarket (UK) Thoroughbred racehorses, were used. A case-control study compared physiotherapy assessment findings of racehorses with and without a subsequently diagnosed pelvic or hindlimb fracture. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression was used to investigate and quantify the strength of association between physiotherapy findings and subsequent fracture diagnosis. Statistical significance was set at P<0.05. RESULTS: A total of 513 horses provided 14 fracture cases for analysis. Presence of pelvic bony asymmetry, muscle atrophy of the quarters, reduced reflex movements of dorsi- and/or ventroflexion and spasm or tenderness on palpation of the gluteal muscles were significantly associated with subsequent fracture diagnosis in univariable analysis. Multivariable analysis indicated that horses subsequently diagnosed with pelvic or hindlimb fracture were 11.1 times more likely to show pelvic bony asymmetry, 4.7 times more likely to display muscle atrophy of the quarters and 6.6 times more likely to have spasm or tenderness on palpation of the gluteal muscles than those that were not. CONCLUSIONS: Racehorses presented for physiotherapy that show pelvic bony asymmetry, muscle atrophy of the quarters and/or spasm or tenderness on palpation of the gluteal muscles should alert the physiotherapist to the potential presence of (impending) pelvic or hindlimb fracture. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Earlier detection of (impending) pelvic or hindlimb fracture in racing Thoroughbreds could reduce the incidence of catastrophic fractures.

Factors associated with euthanasia in horses and ponies enrolled in a laminitis cohort study in Great Britain.

Euthanasia is a complex topic, with animal owners using multiple factors to shape their decision-making process. Previous epidemiological studies have described causes of equine mortality in specific populations, but there is limited evidence regarding factors contributing specifically to equine euthanasia in Great Britain (GB). This observational study used a prospective cohort design: the objectives were to describe owner-reported reasons for euthanasia, estimate the rate of euthanasia and identify associated factors in horses/ponies enrolled in a web-based epidemiological study of laminitis in GB. Self-selected horse/pony owners submitted regular management and health data over 29 months and reported dates and reasons for euthanasia during this period. The overall incidence of euthanasia was estimated and associated factors were identified using multivariable Cox regression modelling, adjusted for age, with variables retained in the final model if P ≤ 0.05. Data were available for 1070 horses/ponies contributing 1093 horse-years at risk (HYAR), with 80 owner-reported euthanasias. The incidence of euthanasia was 7.3 euthanasias per 100 HYAR (95 % confidence interval [CI] 5.9, 9.1). The most frequently reported health reasons contributing to euthanasia were laminitis-related consequences (25.0 % ; CI 16.8, 35.5 %), colic (21.3 % ; CI 13.7, 31.4 %), non-laminitic lameness (20.0 % ; CI 12.7, 30.1 %) and age-related deterioration, including owner-perceived compromised quality of life (20.0 % ; CI 12.7, 30.1 %). Health-related factors associated with significantly higher rates of euthanasia were colic (hazard ratio [HR] 26.4; CI 12.5, 55.8), pituitary pars intermedia dysfunction (HR 3.0; CI 1.7, 5.4) and lameness due to navicular syndrome (HR 5.9; CI 1.8, 20.0), soft tissue injury (HR 6.5; CI 2.7, 15.6) or laminitis (HR 2.7; CI 1.3, 5.7). Further factors included being pure bred (HR 1.7; CI 1.0, 2.8), female (HR 1.7; CI 1.0, 2.9), having poor owner-perceived hoof quality (HR 2.4; CI 1.1, 5.2), being entirely stabled (HR 5.0; HR 2.1, 12.0), being on loan or under temporary care of the study participant (HR 2.3; CI 1.2, 4.4) and participating in affiliated or professional competitions (HR 5.9; CI 2.4, 14.8). Euthanasia rates were significantly higher in the first two study years compared to the third (P < 0.001). Animals whose owners used the study's custom-designed weight tracker tool had significantly lower rates of euthanasia (HR 0.6; CI 0.3, 0.95). This study has identified a number of, arguably preventable, health-related factors associated with higher rates of euthanasia. Data on owners' decision-making process regarding euthanasia, including emotive and financial impacts, were not recorded but are important contributors to euthanasia that require better understanding.

Phenology and growth of Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur seedlings in response to temperature variation in the parental versus offspring generation.

Plants are known to respond to warming temperatures. Few studies, however, have included the temperature experienced by the parent plant in the experimental design, in spite of the importance of this factor for population dynamics. We investigated the phenological and growth responses of seedlings of two key temperate tree species (Fagus sylvatica and Quercus robur) to spatiotemporal temperature variation during the reproductive period (parental generation) and experimental warming of the offspring. To this end, we sampled oak and beech seedlings of different ages (1-5 years) from isolated mother trees and planted the seedlings in a common garden. Warming of the seedlings advanced bud burst in both species. In oak seedlings, higher temperatures experienced by mother trees during the reproductive period delayed bud burst in control conditions, but advanced bud burst in heated seedlings. In beech seedlings, bud burst timing advanced both with increasing temperatures during the reproductive period of the parents and with experimental warming of the seedlings. Relative diameter growth was enhanced in control oak seedlings but decreased with warming when the mother plant experienced higher temperatures during the reproductive period. Overall, oak displayed more plastic responses to temperatures than beech. Our results emphasise that temperature during the reproductive period can be a potential determinant of tree responses to climate change.

Individualistic responses of forest herb traits to environmental change.

Intraspecific trait variation (ITV; i.e. variability in mean and/or distribution of plant attribute values within species) can occur in response to multiple drivers. Environmental change and land-use legacies could directly alter trait values within species but could also affect them indirectly through changes in vegetation cover. Increasing variability in environmental conditions could lead to more ITV, but responses might differ among species. Disentangling these drivers on ITV is necessary to accurately predict plant community responses to global change. We planted herb communities into forest soils with and without a recent history of agriculture. Soils were collected across temperate European regions, while the 15 selected herb species had different colonizing abilities and affinities to forest habitat. These mesocosms (384) were exposed to two-level full-factorial treatments of warming, nitrogen addition and illumination. We measured plant height and specific leaf area (SLA). For the majority of species, mean plant height increased as vegetation cover increased in response to light addition, warming and agricultural legacy. The coefficient of variation (CV) for height was larger in fast-colonizing species. Mean SLA for vernal species increased with warming, while light addition generally decreased mean SLA for shade-tolerant species. Interactions between treatments were not important predictors. Environmental change treatments influenced ITV, either via increasing vegetation cover or by affecting trait values directly. Species' ITV was individualistic, i.e. species responded to different single resource and condition manipulations that benefited their growth in the short term. These individual responses could be important for altered community organization after a prolonged period.

Plant functional trait response to environmental drivers across European temperate forest understorey communities.

Functional traits respond to environmental drivers, hence evaluating trait-environment relationships across spatial environmental gradients can help to understand how multiple drivers influence plant communities. Global-change drivers such as changes in atmospheric nitrogen deposition occur worldwide, but affect community trait distributions at the local scale, where resources (e.g. light availability) and conditions (e.g. soil pH) also influence plant communities. We investigate how multiple environmental drivers affect community trait responses related to resource acquisition (plant height, specific leaf area (SLA), woodiness, and mycorrhizal status) and regeneration (seed mass, lateral spread) of European temperate deciduous forest understoreys. We sampled understorey communities and derived trait responses across spatial gradients of global-change drivers (temperature, precipitation, nitrogen deposition, and past land use), while integrating in-situ plot measurements on resources and conditions (soil type, Olsen phosphorus (P), Ellenberg soil moisture, light, litter mass, and litter quality). Among the global-change drivers, mean annual temperature strongly influenced traits related to resource acquisition. Higher temperatures were associated with taller understoreys producing leaves with lower SLA, and a higher proportional cover of woody and obligate mycorrhizal (OM) species. Communities in plots with higher Ellenberg soil moisture content had smaller seeds and lower proportional cover of woody and OM species. Finally, plots with thicker litter layers hosted taller understoreys with larger seeds and a higher proportional cover of OM species. Our findings suggest potential community shifts in temperate forest understoreys with global warming, and highlight the importance of local resources and conditions as well as global-change drivers for community trait variation.

Juniperus communis: victim of the combined action of climate warming and nitrogen deposition?

Research on the combined effects of climate change and nitrogen deposition on reproductive traits, and especially on the production of viable seeds, is still scarce despite their importance for population persistence and expansion. Hence, in this study we set out to investigate the direct and indirect effects of the above-mentioned global change drivers on seed viability in the coniferous shrub Juniperus communis L. In many parts of its European range, juniper is increasingly threatened, partly because of a lack of sexual reproduction. We hypothesised that this regeneration failure is partly due to poor seed viability. Using data from 39 populations throughout Europe, we were able to demonstrate that a strong, triangular-shaped relationship exists between the percentage of viable seeds produced and the percentage of juniper seedlings occurring in a population, which indicates that the species is indeed partly seed limited. Furthermore, based on an extended dataset of 42 populations, we found that seed viability was negatively affected by temperature, measured as mean annual growing degree-days, and nitrogen deposition (but not by drought). Suggestions are made about the processes behind the observed patterns, but more research is required. Nevertheless, our results do raise serious concerns for the conservation of juniper in light of the predicted rise in temperature and global nitrogen emissions. Furthermore, it is likely that similar patterns can also be observed for other species.

Bone biomarkers and risk of fracture in two- and three-year-old Thoroughbreds.

The aim of this study was to determine whether bone biomarkers (osteocalcin, PICP, ICTP and CTX-I) could be used to identify 2- and 3-year-olds at increased risk of fracture in the subsequent flat racing season. It was concluded that these bone biomarkers cannot be used to identify 2- and 3-year-olds that sustain a fracture. Whether bone biomarkers have better predictive value in older horses or when measured serially in the same animal remains to be determined.

Ultrasonographic assessment of the superficial digital flexor tendons of National Hunt racehorses in training over two racing seasons.

REASONS FOR PERFORMING STUDY: It is important to ascertain the prevalence of superficial digital flexor tendon (SDFT) injuries and to improve methods of predicting injury in National Hunt (NH) racehorses. OBJECTIVES: To establish: 1) the prevalence of SDFT tendinopathy in NH horses; 2) whether routine ultrasonography can be used to predict SDFT injuries; 3) whether previous tendinopathy predisposes to reinjury; 4) a normal range for the SDFT cross-sectional area (CSA); and 5) the effects of gender, age, background (ex-flat or ex-store), limb, training and rest periods on SDFT CSA. METHODS: Routine ultrasound assessment of the palmar metacarpal soft tissues of 263 NH racehorses was performed on up to 6 occasions over 2 NH racing seasons. RESULTS: The prevalence of SDFT pathology detected using ultrasonography was 24% (n = 148), with a nonsignificant variation between yards of 10-40%. No changes in SDFT CSA or ultrasonographic appearance were detected prior to injury. Older horses had a significantly higher prevalence of SDFT pathology compared to younger horses, and horses with tendinopathy were more likely to suffer an acute injury compared to horses with no evidence of pathology. A reference range for normal CSA measurements was established as 77-139 mm2 at level 4, from 142 horses with no ultrasonographic evidence of SDFT pathology. The CSA of normal horses did not vary significantly with age, limb or over 2 racing seasons, but did with sex and background. CONCLUSIONS: The study confirms that SDFT tendinopathy is common in NH horses, with substantial variation between training yards. Ultrasonography at 3 month intervals did not seem to predict acute SDFT injuries. POTENTIAL RELEVANCE: Variation in the prevalence of tendinopathy between yards suggests that training methods may influence injury rate. It was not possible to predict injury using routine ultrasonography and therefore other methods must be identified. A normal reference range for SDFT CSA is provided.